Pastor’s Column 4th Sunday of Lent March 31, 2019 There are three players in this Sunday's parable of the “prodigal son” (Luke 15:1–32): the loving, generous father who is watching and waiting for the return of his child; the selfish, self-centered younger son who rejects his father and squanders his money; and the older, faithful son who is lacking in compassion. Most of us can identify with one or all of these characters at different times in our lives. The younger son just can't wait to leave home and live life on his own terms. He doesn't want anything to do with his father, his family or the values he's inherited. Unfortunately for him, local custom permitted this young man to ask for h

Why Did This Happen? Pastor’s Column 3rd Sunday of Lent March 24, 2019 All of us at times have wanted to ask God, “Why did this happen”? This is precisely what Jesus is asked in this Sunday’s gospel (Luke 13:1-9). “Why did all those people die when the tower in Siloam collapsed? Why were those Jews put to death by Pilate? Were their sins greater than others? Did they somehow ‘deserve’ what happened to them?” Often enough, we have similar questions for God. One has only to read the daily papers to see some perceived injustice done to someone, and we want to know why? Did they deserve it? Or, “Why did this happen to me? Did I somehow deserve this?” These days, it seems that not a wee

Pastor's Column 2nd Sunday of Lent March 17, 2019 The account of Jesus' transfiguration in this Sunday's gospel (Luke 9:28-36) gives us a window into another world – both the world that Christ comes from and the world that we are journeying toward, the extraordinary world of the future that is, in fact, our true home. How very strange and wonderful this world of light must have seemed to the disciples. It would have been quite startling to see Jesus transfigured into a being of light. For the first time, the disciples are seeing the Son of God much as he truly is. The message is clear: the sufferings of this life cannot compare to the glory that is to come. The voice of the Father reminds u

Pastor’s Column 1st Sunday of Lent-C March 10, 2019 It seems that no sooner have we disposed of the poinsettias, then it is time for Lent to begin again. Lent is not meant to be an inconvenience, but rather an opportunity to grow in the spiritual life for 40 days. Lent is what we make of it. If we want a return on our investment this Lent, we have to actually invest something, and one of the key investments that Jesus recommends is fasting. What does fasting really mean? Many people’s lives are so full that fitting God in can be a challenge. Jesus fasted for 40 days before he began his ministry. We, too, are called to fast, that is, to open up space for Jesus to enter into our lives in

Pastor’s Column 8th Sunday in Ordinary Time-C March 3, 2019 One of the great benefits of going to the sacrament of Reconciliation on a regular basis is that it really does help us to know our weaknesses. Lent is a time when rigorous honesty is required between the soul and God. Many of us find that we are fighting the same battles with sin and bad habits throughout our lives. The reason for this often lies in that we are not at war with our sinful choices. Is there a spiritual paralysis in my life? With Lent nearly upon us, now is the time to begin to ask the question, “What project are the Lord and I going to do together for the six weeks of Lent?” It is imperative in the spiritual lif